Dreams
by Sarah Elric
Summary: Ichihime Love is the most beautiful of dreams and the worst of nightmares When minds dream, thoughts cross, words mix, and feelings arise, and soon Shakespeare can't even describe the scene, and the rain only brings things crashing down...little Oneshot


**So it's me again with ANOTHER ICHIHIME FIC! LOVE ME! Anyways...please review...it makes me ever so happy...and I'm working on the sequal for "Changes" so those of you who reviewed it and came here to harass me about updating you will get no where because I am not going to listen to your threats you hear me? (someone holds a gun up to the back of Sarah's head) Well there's an insentive...enjoy! please review! I own nothing, but wish for it all...-sighs wistfully- Sado-kun...**

**PS- The story has separate parts...from Ichigo's mind, to Orihime's, to Ichigo's dream to Orihime's and back again...I'll bolg face the separations for ya to help you read along...**

"Love is the most beautiful of dreams and the worst of nightmares"

**I**chigo was just finishing up his reading assignment when Rukia popped her head in. "You going to go to sleep yet?" she asked curiously as she leaned casually against the doorframe clad in her Chappy patterned pajamas.

"I was finishing my homework. _Some of us_ actually do it, you know?" Ichigo replied as he yawned loudly and stretched out in his bed. He noticed he was still wearing his jeans and t-shirt and decided to change. "Well I'm gonna change now so...good night."

"Hum, night," Rukia said sleepily as she closed the door softly behind her.

Ichigo stood up and walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt and changed. He walked over to the light switch and turned off the light, just as a sudden downpour occurred outside.

"Great, I just _love_ the rain," Ichigo sighed dismally as he settled into bed. He closed his eyes and tried to push the sound of the pounding drops to the back of his mind. They sounded to similar, and soon welcomed slumber came to his weary soul.

**"G**ood night to you too Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime chirped into the phone as she hung up the phone after her nightly phone call with Tatsuki. She sighed as she looked over at the clock. It was later than she thought it was, no wonder Tatsuki's mom asked her to get off the phone.

Orihime got up and walked back into her bedroom and got ready for bed. She pulled out her favorite sheer yellow nightgown, and picked up the book she had started. After a few minutes of reading she began to feel sleepy.

She pulled her hair out of it's braid and began to brush it, til it shone.Orihime set down the brush and reached over to turned off the light. Suddenly a rumbling outside alerted her to a sudden storm.

"Great...I just love the rain..." Orihime sighed happily as she settled into bed. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady drops that fell. They were calming, soothing, but at the same time they reminded her of a painful past, and soon welcomed slumber came to her weary soul.

_**I** am dying Egypt, dying...Ichigo thought as he lay in the filthy, cold alley. His body weary, aching, blood pooling around him, the rain falling and washing away. He had been stabbed repeatedly and beaten to an inch of his life, and yet, he lived. Ichigo looked toward the opening of the alley, where the streetlight stood alone and bright amongst the darkness of the cold stormy night. _

_He breathed heavily and blinked the rain out of his eyes, he had been fighting a hollow, and was effortlessly winning, but then it happened. This hollow could imitate the most important person of you subconscious, that's what it said. Ichigo awaited the beast to turn into his mother, his sisters, his father, Rukia, Sado, anyone of them, but he didn't expect what it _did_ turn into._

_The beast now stood shorter than himself. Pale skin stood out in the dark alley, rain falling down making it's skin glisten. Long hair was becoming drenched and clung to the sides of it's face and neck. It took a step forward, thin hands and arms held out to him, a smile gracing it's face. Ichigo knew that it was still the hollow, that this image before him was not the real thing, but he couldn't move._

_"Why-why are you...like that?" Ichigo shouted shakingly. He hands gripping his Zangetsu tighter as the hollow approached, it's naked form slick from the rain water._

_"This is what you really want shinigami...this is your subconscious desire...this..." the hollow took one final step, only a foot away from Ichigo, and ran it's hands over itself. "This...girl..." The hollow spoke those words in the same, sweet voice that Ichigo had grown to know, the voice of someone close and someone innocent, of Orihime. "Who is she, this girl?" "Orihime" said as she ran a hand through her wet orange locks. "She's quite exquisite, her body is prefect, I could see why..." "Orihime" whispered as she firmly fondled her breasts, panting slightly. _

_"Stop! STOP IT! Stop doing that to her!" Ichigo shouted as he took a step forward, sword raised, but stopped when he looked at those watery brown eyes._

_"Ichigo...you-you wouldn't hurt me? Would you?" "Orihime" said softly as she lightly pushed the sword away and reached forward to grasp his kimono in her hands. "Please...don't hurt me Ichigo..."_

_"Or-orihime?" Ichigo gasped at the close proximity, he lowered his zanpakuto, his eyes welling as he looked down at her. "I-I won't hurt you..."_

_"Good..." "Orihime" sighed. Then lifted her face up to him, her eyes hollow and black, a wicked smile growing across her face. "Because...I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt _you_!" She shouted as she plunged long sharp claws through his chest. "Well Ichigo?"_

_"Ori...hime?" Ichigo asked in shock as "Orihime" pulled her hand back and walked away from him. _

_"This girl...she is your only weakness...that means she is powerful...I think I shall have to go find her and...well...why should I tell you?" the hollow sighed as he slowly changed back into his beast like form and then slowly into a mirror image of Ichigo. "You said her name...Orihime? Yes...well...I think that I, 'Ichigo', needs to pay a nighttime visit to the young, supple, luscious Orihime..."_

_Ichigo stood on quivering legs, blood seeping out of his chest, falling to the ground with a sickening drops, falling in time with the pounding rain. "I won't let you...touch her!" Ichigo shouted as he let his control slip, allowing himself to don the hollow mask, the darkness taking over, and the powerful voice of his hollow laughing happily at the chance of fight, and then no more._

_That was what Ichigo remembered last. That anger, that rage, that...fear. Ichigo actually felt fear in those few moments when the hollow spoke about Orihime. About attacking her, hurting her, touching her, Ichigo was actually afraid. He soon felt tears slide gently down his cheeks mixing with the blood, sweat, and rain on his face. He felt a new emotion as he lay there in the alley, thinking of the girl with the ginger hair and cinnamon eyes. A burn like a flame waiting to become a blazing inferno, he felt a need to protect, to care, to...to... "To love..." Ichigo whispered as he grasped his pounding, raging heart._

_He pulled himself upright, brushing his drenched spiked bangs out of his eyes. He grimaced as he leaned against his sword and was standing up again. Ichigo sighed as he began his long walk home, wounded and tired. She'll never be safe with me...the battles, the hollows... Ichigo thought as he stopped in the street looking up at the dark raining sky. Not only outside dangers...but...what about my hollow side? It's a danger as well...I can't...I can't risk...hurting her...even if...I can't be with her... He bowed his head sadly and felt the rain slowly stop. Finally, it's stopped raining...but...it'll be back, and bring back the darkness and...pain. "This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine..."_

_**"O**uch! Orihime!" shouted Ichigo as Orihime applied an alcohol soaked cloth to the wound on his chest, gently pressing the cloth to the tender flesh. He hissed as he clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, it was the last wound that needed to be bandaged, and it was the worst too. His bandaged hands dug into the carpet as she pressed a little harder to the bloody hole. "Do you HAVE to do that?"_

_"Unless you want to die from an infection, I HAVE to do that..." Orihime sighed as she lifted away the cloth to inspect the wound. "Alright, I'm just going to put salve on this and bandage it up, then you should be fine." Orihime reached over to her first aid kit and pulled out a roll of bandages and a jar of salve. She set to work applying the salve and decided that the room was too quiet again. "So...?" Orihime grinned as she worked in the clear goo, "What happened to you Kurosaki-kun?"_

_"Ah..." Ichigo said as he opened his chocolate eyes to look up at her, "There was...a hollow..."_

_"You usually don't get this badly hurt...what happened?" Orihime persisted as she set down the salve and reached for the bandages._

_"I got...distracted..."Ichigo whispered softly watching her small, pale, soft hands press the gauze to his skin and begin wrapping his chest._

_"Kurosaki-kun get distracted?" Orihime laughed lightly as she tied the bandages. "What could be that distracting, especially during a fight against a hollow, you are always so focused, so determined, so...strong..."_

_Ichigo placed his bandaged hand on top of hers before she could lift it away, his large, tan, hard hand engulfed hers, contrasting in every way, he smiled as he rubbed his thumb gently over her smooth skin, causing her to blush furiously. "Oh...I can think of a few things..."_

_Orihime turned her face away and began to stutter, "Ku-kurosaki-kun! I-uh-I...um...well...you and I...uh...distraction...um...MUST HIDE THE SECRET PLANS! Quick the package will self destruct in five seconds! We can't let the enemy know our secret!" Orihime babbled as she lifted her free hand to her chest, her eyes taking a distant look, as if she were in a completely other world._

_"Orihime?" Ichigo asked in concern, sitting up and reached his other hand out to lightly touch her cheek._

_"I'LL NEVER TELL! Never!" Orihime shouted before turning back to Ichigo sheepishly, "Huh? Oh, Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry...I sometimes get kind of carried away...what was it?" She smiled happily at him waiting for him to continue._

_"I just wanted to make sure you were alright..." Ichigo sighed as he grinned shaking his head. He looked up at her and rubbed the apple of her cheek, making her blush again, "You are so pretty when you blush..."_

_"Really?" Orihime asked curiously as her blush deepened, and she pulled the hand on her cheek away. Soon she could hear the gentle patter of raindrops outside her window._

_"Yeah...and," Ichigo said softly as he lifted his hand again and tucked back a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Your hair...it...reminds me of mine...passionate, bright, a beacon really...I don't think we'll ever lose each other with hair like ours..."_

_"I can remember when I hated my hair..." Orihime laughed as she ran her fingers through his spiky orange hair, "But once I saw you...and how you didn't care what others thought about your hair...I began to love it again..."_

_Ichigo leaned in close, his forehead resting against hers, and breathed, "You know...it was because of that hollow that...I knew I was in love with you..."_

_"How...is that?" Orihime whispered back._

_"He could show your subconscious desire...the person you is most important to you...and for me...that was you..." Ichigo winded his arm around her waist pulling her to rest between his legs. He smiled down at her shocked face. "I..."_

_"Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime breathed._

_"You know...why don't you call me Ichigo from now on ok?" Ichigo smirked as he rubbed small circles on her lower back._

_"Ok...Ichigo-kun..." Orihime smiled as she closed her eyes._

_"Orihime?"_

_"Yes, Ichigo-kun?"_

_"I'd...I'd like to kiss you right now...if that's alright..." Ichigo said as he blushed furiously, and nuzzled into her hair._

_Orihime grinned as she nuzzled his neck, "You are so cute when you blush!"_

_"Guys aren't cute," Ichigo replied gruffly, blushing even more._

_"No...only the orange-haired ones are!" Orihime laughed._

_"Well I have to say...we orange-haired people are quite cute..." Ichigo said with a grin as he bent his face down to her lips._

_"Hm, quite..." Orihime mumbled as she closed her eyes, and awaited Ichigo's warm lips and firm touches. The rain storm outside was soft and gentle, at times like this, she hoped the rain would never stop, because she knew that after the terrible darkness, the rain, and thunder, there would be a new, clean earth._

**I**chigo shot up in his bed at the sudden clap of thunder outside, his breathing quick and shallow. He clutched the spot on his chest where the hollow in his dream had stabbed him, and felt a small ache, but no wound. He fell back down onto his pillow and tried to calm his raging heart. _That dream...what did it mean?_ Ichigo thought as he stared out the window at the raging storm.

He remembered the anger and the pain, he remembered the longing and the sadness. He just didn't understand why he felt that way. Because even now he felt a yearning to run to Orihime's house and make sure she was ok, and protect her. Ichigo sighed, his heart raced when he said her name, his breathing began to get deeper, his muscles twitched. His body got hotter and hotter, and an immense pressure that built up, threatening to break. People said that he held a great deal of power, that his faucet of spiritual power was constantly flowing out at full flow, and to turn off his faucet would kill him...These emotions, were going to kill him too.

Ichigo began to wonder what he would have to do to release the pressure of emotions. Orihime's laughing face came to mind, and the emotions banged on the door of his heart, demanding to be let out. Ichigo ached with want, with need, he buried his face into the pillow and sighed heavily.

_I don't want this...I don't NEED this, I don't even know if I like her..._ Ichigo thought miserably. _**That's a lie and you know it.**__ Shut up. __**What's wrong your Majesty? Don't like the truth? **__I thought you told you to shut up! __**She's worthy of a King such as yourself...**__ SHUT UP! __**Orihime...sounds like a princess anyway...**__ SHE DOESN'T LOVE ME! __**...did you want her to...**__ ...I don't know...__** She does love you though...**__ How do you know? __**I'm apart of you, I see what you see, hear what you hear, and feel what you feel...I've seen the way that girl looks at you, the way she talks, she loves you...**__ I'd hurt her...because of you...because I'm a shinigami...I can't protect her, I'll be constantly putting her in danger. __**Like that's stopped her before...she puts HERSELF in danger as it is... **__How do I tell her?__** Like I KNOW! You're the King!**_Andwith that his hollow side disappeared to the back of his mind, leaving Ichigo alone with his thoughts.

**O**rihime blearily woke from a wonderful, Kurosaki-kun had kissed her! She grinned happily and felt a blush rush to her cheeks staining them red. She lifted her hands to her face trying to cool the hot flesh. It was so vivid, as if it were a memory of hers, but it wasn't. _Oh goodness if it was a memory...Kurosaki-kun...hm...so warm..._ She flushed redder as thoughts of Kurosaki-kun came to her mind, thoughts of the dream and of daydreams that she had.

_I wonder if it means anything...?_ Orihime pondered as she stared out of her bedroom window watching the rain fall. Her heart was soaring, this dream was a renewed hope for her, for her future with Kurosaki-kun. She always had hoped that things like this would happen to her, that Ichigo would return her love and affection. That he would look at her like he looked at Rukia. That he would go to the world of the dead to save her. _Like a knight in shining armor...saving the princess from her tower prison..._ Orihime felt tears start to slide down her smooth cheeks.

She wondered what Ichigo was doing right now. For some reason Orihime thought she could sense his unease, that right now, he too, lay in his bed awake thinking too. _About what though...about Kuchiki-san...about battles in his past...not about me though..._ She pulled her blanket up around her body feeling the cold of being alone.

_I don't want this...I don't NEED this...I shouldn't be jealous of Kuchiki-san, because Ichigo likes her to me..._ Orihime thought bitterly as she buried her face in the blanket. _**Ichigo does not like Rukia to you Orihime...**__ How do you know? You saw the way he looked at her when I was healing her...it was like she was all that mattered to him in the world... __**How would you feel if you saw someone saving Tatsuki's life...like she was the most important thing in the world to you in that moment? **__...Besides...it's-it's not like he loves me... __**How do you know? **__I've seen the way he looks at her compared to the way he looks at me...she is more important, she makes Kurosaki-kun happy, I can't even do that... __**Have you ever thought that maybe Kurosaki-kun needs you both? He needs Rukia AND you...Orihime...he really does... **_and with that her inner powerdisappeared to the back of her mind, leaving Orihime alone with her thoughts.

**For those of you that are uber literate you will notice that I used Shakespeare quotes in Ichigo's part as well as at the top...yep...I feel pretty smart right now...REVIEW NOW! Peace out!**


End file.
